Norman Stiles

Norman Stiles (left) and Chris Cerf at the 2001 TCA Awards.

Norman Stiles is a writer who worked on Sesame Street and its related products for over twenty years; his concepts included the Muppet characters Count von Count and Forgetful Jones.

Stiles initially studied zoology and chemistry at Hunter College, and became a social worker for the New York City Welfare Department. During that period, he began writing comedy material for such performers as Ron Carey (later a regular on Barney Miller) and Marty Brill, and wrote for Merv Griffin.

Stiles joined the Children's Television Workshop in 1971, and became the head writer on Sesame Street beginning with Season 4. In later years, his work would often touch upon sensitive topics, such as the death of Mr. Hooper in Episode 1839, or the effects of divorce on children in the unaired "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce." In 1990, as part of the Season 22 curriculum mandate to examine race relations, Stiles wrote a skit in which a monster named Lila refuses to let Elmo play wubbaball because of his different fur color, only to find herself excluded.

Stiles has also written for appearances by the Muppets, such as an Ad Council nutrition spot with Cookie Monster, and authored a variety of Sesame Street books (including The Perils of Penelope), wrote lyrics for such songs as "Put Down the Duckie," and helped script Jim Henson's pilot special The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.

Stiles discussed his phiolosophy of writing in 1988:

“Never talk down to children. Always try to entertain children and parents at the same time. Try to have adult characters speak the way adults speak and not in singsong kiddy-show style. And teach something while all this is going on... This is basically a sketch comedy show.”

Outside of the Muppets and Sesame Street, Stiles has written for America 2-Night (starring Martin Mull and Fred Willard) and Mel Brooks' 1975 sitcom spoof of Robin Hood When Things Were Rotten. Most recently, with Michael K. Frith and Christopher Cerf, Stiles co-founded Sirius Thinking Ltd., and wrote and produced Between the Lions, netting a 2004 Daytime Emmy for best writing and several nominations.

Television Writing Credits

• Sesame Street (1971-ca. 1995)
• The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence
• Out to Lunch
• The Jean Marsh Cartoon Special
• The Sesame Street Special
• Free to Be... a Family

Book Credits

• The Sesame Street Library volumes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12
• The Sesame Street Treasury volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
• The Sesame Street Storybook
• The Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook
• The Sesame Street ABC Storybook
• The Perils of Penelope
• I'll Miss You, Mr. Hooper
• The Amazing Mumford and His Amazing Subtracting Trick
• The Ernie & Bert Book
• Grover's Little Red Riding Hood
• Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum
• Around the Corner on Sesame Street
• The Count's Number Parade

Lyricist

• Do De Rubber Duck
• Google Bugle
• Handful of Crumbs
• Monster in the Mirror
• Put Down the Duckie
• Swamp Mushy Muddy
• Telephone Rock
• Above it All
• Counting Robins
• Five Jive with Elmo Hammer
• Hey Food
• You're Alive

Miscellaneous Writing

• Big Bird Discovers the Orchestra, album
• Silly Dancing, Sesame Street Live stage show
• Sleeping Birdie, stage show